Blood supply critically low
by Lisa Carrillo
Care Ambulance/Falck Mobile Health Corp.
The American Red Cross is facing a national blood crisis, its worst blood shortage in more than a decade, posing a concerning risk to patient care. With less than a one-day supply of critical blood types in recent weeks, doctors have been forced to make difficult decisions about who receives blood transfusions and who will need to wait until more products become available. Blood cannot be manufactured, so human donors are essential to maintaining the blood supply.
January is National Blood Donation Month, and Care Ambulance/Falck Mobile Health Corp. is hosting a blood drive from 9 a.m.-3 p.m. on Feb. 8 at its Orange headquaters at 1517 W. Braden Court.
About 328 million people currently live in the U.S., and each year, approximately 6.8 million people in the U.S donate blood. Annually, this adds up to about 13.6 million units of whole blood. The Red Cross provides about 40 percent of the nation’s blood and blood-cell components to donors. Blood donations are used for patients in need of surgery, cancer treatment and transfusions for blood loss from traumatic injuries.
Because of the shortage, blood distribution to hospitals has been severely limited, which caused one of the largest trauma
